SpotLight.

Seshu Photography.

His Style.

Seshu, the wedding photographer at Seshu Photography, loves to capture images that are as natural as possible. “I crave finding the beauty that exists as we truly are,” says Seshu. He defines his style as a mix of documentary and fine art. Seshu aims to keep his images unique and honest. “It helps to have an openness with my clients,” shares Seshu, “The photos are best when the client is comfortable and relaxed.”

To learn about his clients and develop a rapport, Seshu prefers to meet with them before the wedding. “I always encourage a face to face meeting,” says Seshu, “but sometimes that’s not possible, like when a bride’s in Boston and the groom’s in California.” In those circumstances, Seshu makes the most of e-mails and phone calls and is considering video chats.

“I love photographing weddings because I become more than just a photographer,” says Seshu, “I become the family historian. It’s an incredible honor.” Seshu focuses mainly on shooting weddings in Connecticut, Boston, New York, and New Jersey. He is also available to shoot destination weddings around the globe. “I have years of experience traveling and engaging in cultures other than my own, and am usually very quick to make myself at home wherever I am.”

Seshu has a rich Indian heritage and understands the importance of culture and tradition. Yet he knows that each wedding is unique, despite cultural traditions. He always makes an effort to produce images from a fresh perspective. “My images need to be just as unique as my clients,” he says, “I seek out and document moments that my clients will cherish for the rest of their lives and pass on to their kids.”

His Past.

Seshu first ventured into photography back in high school, as his yearbook photographer. “I enjoyed it immensely because it allowed me to witness all that went on at school,” Seshu remembers. A few years went by in college before Seshu picked it up again. As an exchange student in Japan he found himself enjoying the camera his parents had bought him.

Not long after, Seshu decided to join a photography club, where he met an avid photographer who re-showed him the ropes. “It was almost as if I had forgotten all about photography and was rediscovering it for the first time,” thinks Seshu, “That was an exhilarating experience! I still remember my first black and white print, a portrait of a drummer practicing on campus.”

“I finally arrived at wedding photography somewhat by circumstance,” recalls Seshu. He had worked as a freelance photographer for the newspapers and magazines, until the job market dwindled. That’s when he decided to try his hand as a wedding photographer and fell in love with it. Most of all, Seshu appreciates the positive feedback he receives as a wedding photographer. “The most rewarding part is watching my clients smile and acknowledge the images.”

Business.

Seshu’s favorite camera is his Nikon D300. He loves to combine it with his Nikon 17-35mm lens for close-up images. With this combination, he can focus on images only a foot away. “Yeah, that’s close,” knows Seshu, “but the closer I am allowed into people’s lives, the better the images are going to be.”

There are a number of tools that Seshu uses to propel his business. Lightroom and Photoshop help him enhance his images, while Dave & Quin’s Quikeys and Tim Riley’s RPG Keys help with more efficient workflow and production on Macintosh computers. “I stalk Strobist.com and OneLightWorkshop.com,” shares Seshu, “both are fountains of information about lighting; the very foundation of what I do as a photographer.”

Future.

As for his business goals, Seshu would love to open a gallery/studio for his clients, as well as other photographers. He envisions inviting other photographers to conduct workshops there. “I would also like to teach some of my own workshops,” says Seshu. Additionally, he would expand his business by photographing portraits in his studio, with the help of a studio manager and a few interns.

He also has an overarching goal related to his customer base and market position. “I hope to eventually capture the South Asian, multi-ethnic, and interfaith markets here in the US and Canada,” he shares, “I want to be the go-to photographer when it comes to destination weddings, especially in Asia, where I have lived for a number of years.”

In addition to his business goals, he also has a fun personal project in the works. He is creating a documentary project about Indian classical musicians. Explains Seshu, “I am curious what they do – are they nervous, do they warm up, what are their interactions with other musicians like.” So far, he has documented six prominent musicians preparing in their green rooms. “When I am finished, I may publish the images in a book,” says Seshu, “It’s tentatively called Mavens of Music.”